Table 2.
Characteristics of interventions evaluated by included studies.
| Authors | Intervention; program design; automatic feedback; mode of delivery and trackers; duration | Comparator | Supplementary information on exercise program |
| Bennell et al [12] | Usual PTa care + home exercise program with app; PT; no; computer, tablet, or smartphone; 3 weeks | Usual PT care + home exercise program without app (printed exercise) | Includes educational material, self-reported PROb, and activity planner or reminder. |
| Bui et al [19] | Usual care + home exercise program with app (range of motion, stretching, strengthening, and practice of everyday tasks); PT; no; Apple iPad Air 2; 4 weeks | Usual care + home exercise (paper or verbally) | Includes range of motion, stretching, strengthening, and practice of everyday task (eg, walking or standing up). |
| Correia et al [36] | Home exercise program with app (5 per week) + 13 home-based PT sessions (60 min); PT; real-time biofeedback through wearable motion sensors; tablet computer + 3 inertial motion trackers + activity tracker; 12 weeks | Home exercise program without app (>2 per week) + 36 home-based PT sessions (3 weeks, 30-60 min) | Five stages: (1) immediate postsurgery phase (weeks 0-2); (2) immobilization period (weeks 3-4); (3) passive mobilization (weeks 5-8); (4) active movement (weeks 9-10), and (5) strengthening (weeks 11-12). All at least 5 times per week for 15 to 30 min. Mobile app includes self-reported PRO and activity planner or reminder. |
| Ehling et al [21] | Home exercise program with app (6 per week, 2×15 min); PT; no; tablet; 12 weeks | Home exercise program without app (screenshots, 30 min daily) | Exercise program focused on movement, strengthening, and coordination of lower limbs and trunk, 2×15 min per day, 6 times per week. Mobile app includes activity planner or reminder. |
| Ellis et al [35] | Home exercise program with app + walking program with an advanced activity tracker; PT; steps per day through activity tracker (IGc/CGd); iPad; 48 weeks | Home exercise program without app + walking program with a simple pedometer | Exercise program includes strengthening and stretching. Mobile app includes self-reported PRO and activity planner or reminder. |
| Hou et al [34] | Usual care + home exercise program with app (20 min, twice a day); MDe; feedback about the rehabilitation; mobile app: 12 weeks | Usual care + advice to keep physically active and simple instructions to train the back muscles | Mobile app includes activity planner or reminder. |
| Johnson et al [32] | Home exercise program with app; PT; no; website or mobile app; 8 weeks | Home exercise program (handwritten, typed, or photo-program) | Mobile app includes self-reported PRO and activity planner or reminder. |
| Li et al [37] | Usual care (OTf 110 min, 2 per week; PT; nursing care and consultations with a medical doctor in the day hospital) + unsupervised exercise program with app; OT; no; mobile app; 3 weeks | Usual care (same) + unsupervised exercise program through paper | Exercises aiming to improve trunk and lower limb strength, mobility, coordination, and balance. Functional exercises that were related to the daily living activities in the home environment. Includes educational material. |
| Mecklenburg et al [22] | Usual care + education papers (1 or 2 per week) + aerobic activities (30 min, 3 per week) + logging symptoms (2 per week) + cognitive behavioral therapy (1 per week) + weight loss program (if overweight, 1 per week) + home exercise program with app; PT designer but supervised by PC; real-time biofeedback through wearable motion sensors; tablet + 2 sensors to be used on the upper and lower leg; 12 weeks | Usual care + 3 education pieces regarding self-care for chronic knee pain | Exercise program includes standing quad stretch (pulling heel toward buttocks), seated quad stretch (pulling leg toward chest), half squats, forward lunges, leg raise (raising lower leg behind the body until parallel with floor while holding chair), seated leg raise (raising lower leg to horizontal while seated), and hamstring stretch (foot on raised object, reach to touch toes with straight leg). Includes educational material and activity planner or reminder. |
| Shebib et al [24] | Usual care + education papers (1 or 2 per week) + aerobic activities (30 min, 3 per week) + logging symptoms (2 per week) + cognitive behavioral therapy (1 per week) + home exercise program with app; PT designer but supervised by PCg; real-time biofeedback through wearable motion sensors; tablet + 2 sensors to be used on the upper and lower leg; 12 weeks | Usual care + 3 education pieces regarding self-care chronic pain | Exercise program includes standing quad stretch (pulling heel toward buttocks), seated quad stretch (pulling leg toward chest), half squats, forward lunges, leg raise (raising lower leg behind the body until parallel with floor while holding chair), seated leg raise (raising lower leg to horizontal while seated), and hamstring stretch (foot on raised object, reach to touch toes with straight leg). Includes educational material and activity planner or reminder. |
aPT: physiotherapist.
bPRO: patient-reported outcome.
cIG: intervention group.
dCG: control group.
eMD: medical doctor.
fOT: occupational therapist.
gPC: personal coach.